In a truly incredible turn of events, the developers of have announced a brand-new take on the game that’s unlike anything we’ve seen from it before.

The main aim of the popular outbreak management sim has always been spread a deadly virus around the world as quickly and efficiently as possible. Given the current state of things, that might not be the escape a lot of people are looking for at the moment. That’s why developer Ndemic Creations is now working on a mode that actually lets players save the world from a pandemic.

As if wasn’t enough, the developer is also donating a generous $250k (roughly £123k) to ongoing efforts to fight and contain the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Outstanding.

creator James Vaughan wrote in a new blog post that he “never imagined” that the world would actually start to resemble his game, or that so many players would be relying on the title to help get them through an actual pandemic. Sales of the game soared in China in the early days of the outbreak, forcing the developer to explain to people that is a game, and not a scientific model.

Regardless, Ndemic Creations has been working with both WHO (World Health Organisation) and CEPI (Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) as they work towards finding a vaccine. The developer has also stressed that the game does have educational merit that’s been repeatedly recognised by organisations like the CDC.

The new mode is the result of fans who “repeatedly asked” if the studio could “make a game which let the player work to stop an outbreak”. In light of everything, the team is now speeding up work on the new update, which will give players the ultimate escape by letting them combat a pandemic themselves.

“Players will have to balance managing disease progression and boosting healthcare systems as well as controlling real-world actions such as triaging, quarantining, social distancing and closing of public services,” according to the blog post. “We are developing this game mode with the help of experts from the World Health Organisation, the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and more.”

There’s no release date for the new update just yet, but Ndemic confirmed that it will be free for all players during the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, the 250k donation is to be split between WHO and CEPI. You can also donate to the former’s ongoing Solidarity Response Fund right here.